I’m from western Pennsylvania and our game commission here is still in the stone ages but last year they decided to let us hunt with inline muzzleloaders. We now have a 5-day season during our early bow season that we can hunt doe only with an inline. So I sold my bow to my son and picked up a contender barrel from Gonic Arms and here is the story.
When I decided to do this project I first contacted Mike Sirois from On Target Technologies about building a barrel for me. He was more than willing to help me out all I had to do was send him a breach plug. So I ordered the plug from a supplier here in Pa. FIRST MISTAKE.
After a month and a half it came in the mail. Now Mike is a very busy man and the time frame I was working with was short with the season fast approaching I decided to just settle for a barrel that was available at the time elsewhere. SECOND MISTAKE. Well we all check out stuff on ebay, lord only knows why!!! And I got what I thought was a fair deal on a 16” 45 cal. Contender barrel with forend, ramrod, 2 nipples and a wrench. The seller shipped it fast and it was in my hands in no time. Well what I knew about black powder would fit in that thingy the 209 primer goes in but I was a willing participant and eager to learn. So here I go. I pulled the 308 Bellm carbine rifle apart (thanks Jules, that barrel is cool) and started to assemble my new muzzle loader. Well problem number one the hinge pin hole must not be straight in the lug. After some persuasion it’s in. It will close but very hard to open and when open the lug hit’s the front of the frame and I can’t get a primer in. being a mechanic and not a gunsmith I set it aside till I could talk to our esteemed leader (he is there for me on subjects I know nothing about) I get in touch with Magnum Mike at like 11:30 PM so off to his house I go. He meets me at the door on my arrival with what I believe is serious doubt about my new project. After looking at it for all of 15 seconds he has my problem solved, the lug needs relieved right here he says! Cool I can do that. USE A FILE HE SAID. He knows me well…. Back at my shop I go through my toolbox for a file alas I find one. Don’t know what I used it for last but it don’t look good, REMEMBER I’M A MECHANIC NOT A GUNSMITH… I start to file on the lug. After about 50 passes with the file the bluing is off the lug!!!! Being the genius I am I decided the file was wore out. Hmmm I have an air die grinder that should work ok. By now the dumpster was way to close to me for this project and the mood I was in.
I stepped back fired up a smoke and said to myself hell I can rebuild a cummins diesel I can surely make this barrel work. Grab an air hose and the chips are flying.
15 minutes later and it opens all the way and fit’s the frame nicely. Almost hurt my shoulder patting myself on the back. I’m ready now.
Next step mount the scope. Done this many times, No problems here. The project is moving along nicely now. Man this thing looks cool, Jules would be proud of me I thought. He likes them short carbines.
Well here it is...
Ok time to shoot this thing. Remember what I said about what I know about black powder? Well that’s not true.. I couldn’t fill the flash hole with what I knew.
Time for a load, 80 grains of pyrodex loose powder should be a good place to start from what I heard from friends. So that’s where I’ll start. I’m wantin’ to see some smoke by now. Off to the local gun shop I go to get what I need. $50 later I’m home and ready to shoot. So out the back door I go, I have a range behind my shop.
80 grains of pyrodex, CVA powerbelt bullets, TC bore butter and Winchester 209 primers. I’m ready now. I sit down at the bench, pour the powder in the barrel lube and seat the bullet and insert the 209 primer adjust the sand bags the time has come. I’m already thinking of being in a tree stand with deer all around me. I exhale and squeeze the trigger…. KABOOM. 20 minutes later the smoke clears to reveal song birds choking from the smoke. And my paper target burnt clean off the 50 yard backstop. There won’t be a mosquito her all summer now. Now I have seen hunting shows on TV with inline black powder hunts and it didn’t look nothing like this. Something just wasn’t right… All my limbs and appendages are in tacked and the contender looks fine. I decided I better talk with someone that has some knowledge with black powder…
Hey did you know you don’t measure black powder with a smokeless powder scale!!!!!!!!! I didn’t……well now the barrel and frame are pressure tested that’s out of the way. I’m on the phone to track down our esteemed leader, Glad he has a cell phone for reasons like this. I told him what I did. Now he is supportive but I know I heard tires squealing in the back ground just before he said you dumb sh*t.
Did you blow yourself up? After he tells me how black powder is measured and what I need to do it right I’m thinking about the dumpster again.. But hey if I get this right I get to hunt 5 extra days this year so I start from the beginning again.
After talking with fellow black powder shooters on Specialty Pistols I have a better understanding of muzzle loaders now, Should have started there first!!!!
I have it sighted in and it shoots good. I will have no problem hitting a deer.
So after all this my, report on the Gonic Arms black powder barrel.
Gonic Arms 16” Contender Black Powder Barrel
*Finish - Good deep blue finish.
* Ramrod - Aluminum with bullet starter.
* Forend - Wood with matte black textured finish, fits barrel well.
* Front site - Only one screw and held on with glue, poor setup.
* Rear site - Old style Lyman was fastened well.
* Barrel supplied with 2 nipples and wrench. Good quality
* Accuracy - Seems to be very good.
Overall I’m pleased with the barrel but did need some major relief to get a good barrel to frame fit.
Pistol Jim